FT: The economy was under pressure in the Trump era, oil prices rose at the same time as mortgage interest rates, and US debt surpassed $40 trillion
Comparing news, the Financial Times article said that the Trump administration's economic policy is facing multiple pressures: US federal debt has surpassed 40 trillion US dollars, long-term US bond yields have risen to a 19-year high, the Iran war has driven up energy prices, and mortgage interest rates have continued to rise.
This week, the US long-term treasury bond market experienced sharp fluctuations. Investors are driving long-term US bond yields higher due to concerns about the expansion of government borrowing and the risk of inflation brought about by the war. US Treasury Secretary Bezent then announced an expansion of the long-term treasury bond repurchase program and plans to introduce measures to reduce the fiscal deficit, but the market response was limited, and the US dollar weakened.
According to the data, the size of the US government debt surpassed 40 trillion US dollars for the first time this week, and the growth rate of federal spending reached the fastest level since the pandemic. The US fiscal deficit fell only slightly to 5.8% of GDP in FY2025, and Trump's tax cuts are expected to further increase fiscal pressure in the future.
On the energy side, the US-Iran conflict is driving up fuel prices in the US. The price of gasoline rose by about 40% from before the war, to $4.11 per gallon; the price of diesel rose to $5.58 per gallon. Rising energy costs have weakened Trump's previous policy goals of reducing living costs and energy prices.
The housing market was also under pressure, and interest rates on 30-year US mortgages rose to 6.65%, up from 5.98% before the war broke out. Meanwhile, consumer inflation in the US rose to a three-year high of 4.2% in May and fell back to 3.4% in July, but Federal Reserve officials are still worried that inflationary pressure continues.
Although the US economy is still supported by consumer spending and AI infrastructure investment by big tech companies, the growth rate is below the government's previous target. The annualized growth rate of US GDP in the second quarter of 2026 was about 1.5%, lower than the previously proposed growth forecast of 3% or more.
Market participants believe that high debt, high financing costs, and rising energy prices are weakening consumer confidence and may become important political pressures facing the Trump administration. Bessent said that the US is still expected to improve its fiscal situation through economic growth.
